Orthodontic band

Abstract

An orthodontic band having a textured inner surface for enhancing the adhesive bonding to a tooth, wherein the textured surface is formed by photoetching a pattern of pockets, indentations, or raised portions.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows: 
     
       1. Metal band material adapted to be cut into circular blanks and die-worked for making tubular orthodontic bands, said material being in flat sheet or strip form of a thickness such that it will function as an orthodontic band when die-worked into a tubular band and being photoetched on one side which becomes the inside surface of the band and the side to be engaged by dies during die-working into tubular bands, and said photoetched side including a plurality of spaced apart indentations each having a centrally disposed island, whereby said indentations coact with cement when attaching the band to a tooth with a dental cement to materially enhance the strength of the cement bond between the band and the tooth. 
     
     
       2. The band material of claim 1, wherein the indentations are arranged in rows with the indentations in adjacent rows being aligned. 
     
     
       3. The band material of claim 1, wherein the indentations are arranged in rows with the indentations in adjacent rows being staggered. 
     
     
       4. The band material of claims 2 or 3, wherein the indentations are doughnut-shaped. 
     
     
       5. The band material of claims 2 or 3, wherein the indentations are polygonally shaped. 
     
     
       6. The band material of claims 2 or 3, wherein the indentations are square. 
     
     
       7. The band material of claims 2 or 3, wherein the indentations are triangular. 
     
     
       8. The band material of claims 2 or 3, wherein the indentations are rhomboidal. 
     
     
       9. The band material of claims 2 or 3, wherein the indentations are hexagonal. 
     
     
       10. A seamless orthodontic band having an inside surface, said band being die-worked from metal band material having said inside surface photoetched to define a textured surface for materially enhancing the strength of bonding the band to a tooth with cement. 
     
     
       11. A seamless orthodontic band for attaching an orthodontic appliance to a tooth comprising, a metal die-worked ring-shaped body having a smooth exterior side to which an orthodontic appliance may be attached and a textured internal side for bonding to the tooth, said internal side being textured by being photoetched with a pattern of pockets and die-worked such as to distort the pattern and cause at least some of the pockets to have undercuts, thereby materially enhancing the bonding strength between the band and the tooth. 
     
     
       12. The band of claim 11, wherein the pattern includes a multiplicity of pockets. 
     
     
       13. The band of claim 11, wherein the pattern includes a multiplicity of protuberances. 
     
     
       14. The band of claim 11, wherein the pattern includes a multiplicity of raised dots. 
     
     
       15. The band of claim 11, wherein the pattern includes a multiplicity of doughnut-shaped recesses. 
     
     
       16. A metal blank of thin stainless steel for forming a ring-shaped orthodontic band from a series of dies, said blank being circularly shaped and having a thickness of about 0.006 inch, the outer side of the blank being smooth and the inner side being textured, said textured side being photoetched with a plurality of pockets in aligned rows. 
     
     
       17. The ring blank of claim 16 wherein the pockets are sized in inches of about 0.0035 by 0.0035 with a depth of about 0.001 and a spacing of about 0.005. 
     
     
       18. A metal ring blank of thin stainless steel for forming a ring-shaped orthodontic band from a series of dies, said blank being circularly shaped and having a thickness of about 0.006 inch, the outer side of the blank being smooth and the inner side being textured, said textured side being photoetched with a plurality of doughnut-shaped recesses in aligned rows. 
     
     
       19. A metal blank of thin stainless steel for forming a ring-shaped orthodontic band from a series of dies, said blank being circularly shaped and having a thickness of about 0.006 inch, the outer side of the blank being smooth and the inner side being textured, said textured side being photoetched with a plurality of pockets in staggered rows. 
     
     
       20. The ring blank of claim 19, wherein the pockets are sized in inches of about 0.0085 by 0.0085 with a depth of about 0.001 and a spacing of about 0.005. 
     
     
       21. A metal ring blank of thin stainless steel for forming a ring-shaped orthodontic band from a series of dies, said blank being circularly shaped and having a thickness of about 0.006 inch, the outer side of the blank being smooth and the inner side being textured, said textured side being photoetched with a plurality of doughnut-shaped recesses in staggered rows. 
     
     
       22. Metal band material for making tubular orthodontic bands to be attached to a tooth with a dental cement, said material being in flat sheet or strip form and being photoetched on one side which becomes the inside surface of the band, and said photoetched side including a plurality of rows of spaced apart pockets, Whereby said pockets coact with the cement when attaching the band to a tooth to materially enhance the strength of the cement bond between the band and the tooth, said pockets in inches being about 0.0085 by 0.0085 with a depth of about 0.001 and a spacing between pockets of about 0.005. 
     
     
       23. The band material of claim 22, wherein the pockets in adjacent rows are aligned. 
     
     
       24. The band material of claim 22, wherein the pockets in adjacent rows are staggered. 
     
     
       25. A metal blank of thin stainless steel for forming a ring-shaped orthodontic band from a series of dies, said blank being sized and shaped to be die-workable into a band and having a thickness of about from 0.005 to 0.007 inch, the outer side of the blank being smooth and the inner side being textured, said textured side being photoetched with a plurality of rows of pockets. 
     
     
       26. The metal blank of claim 25, wherein the pockets in adjacent rows are aligned. 
     
     
       27. The metal blank of claim 25, wherein the pockets in adjacent rows are staggered.